Neuter and androgynous species in SF: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 11:01, 13 May 2008

Stories where either the whole species is neuter; there is a neuter sex; or members of the species pass thru a neuter phase.

Betan hermaphrodites (Lois McMaster Bujold's Vorkosigan Saga)
Children are neuter (Mary Gentle's Golden Witchbreed (1983))
Children are neuter (David Gerrold's Moonstar Odyssey (1977))
Alien neuters in "Chocky" (TV series and novels)
Children are neuter until adolescence, and then become male, female, or neuter ("blands"). Carolyn Ives Gilman's Halfway Human (1998))
Children are neuter until adolescence, and then become male, female, or neuter. M. C. A. Hogarth's "Freedom, Spiced and Drunk" (2002))
Children are neuter until adolescence, and then become male, female, or neuter. Kameron Hurley's "Genderbending at the Madhattered" (2004).
Gethenians, who are neuter unless in kemmer. Ursula K. Le Guin's The Left Hand of Darkness)
Children are gender-neutral and choose at puberty. (Vonda McIntyre. "Wings" in The Alien Condition, edited by Stephen Goldin (New York: Ballantine, 1973))
A race of humans appears to be neuter. (Theodore Sturgeon's Venus Plus X (1960))
Some people on Darkover are born neuter, others choose to become such. (Often after traumatic sexual experiences)
The dragons in Patricia C. Wrede's Enchanted Forest Chronicles are neuter until they get old enough to choose which sex they want to be.

Soren (played by Melinda Culea), a member of the androgynous species, the J'naii, on ST:TNG episode "The Outcast" (1992)

The J'naii, a humanoid species that has "evolved" beyond gender. Unclear whether androgyny is merely a social convention or whether it is also a biological change. (ST:TNG episode The Outcast (1992))

Androgyne character in R. M. Meluch's Wind Child (1982) (single individual, or member of androgyne species?)
Harvey L. Bilker, "Genetic Faux Pas" in Thomas N. Scortia's Strange Bedfellows (1972)
Samuel Delany, "Aye, and Gomorrah ... " (first published in Dangerous Visions, edited by Harlan Ellison, 1967).

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 * Children are neuter ([[David Gerrold]]'s [[Moonstar Odyssey]] (1977))
 * Alien neuters in "[[Chocky]]" (TV series and novels)
-* Children are neuter until adolescence, and then become male, female, or neuter. [[Carolyn Ives Gilman]]'s [[Halfway Human]] (1998))
+* Children are neuter until adolescence, and then become male, female, or neuter ("[[blands]]"). [[Carolyn Ives Gilman]]'s [[Halfway Human]] (1998))
-* --. ([[M. C. A. Hogarth]]'s "Freedom, Spiced and Drunk" (2002))
+* Children are neuter until adolescence, and then become male, female, or neuter. [[M. C. A. Hogarth]]'s "Freedom, Spiced and Drunk" (2002))
-* --. ([[Kameron Hurley]]'s "Genderbending at the Madhattered" (2004))
+* Children are neuter until adolescence, and then become male, female, or neuter. [[Kameron Hurley]]'s "Genderbending at the Madhattered" (2004).
-* Gethenians, who are neuter unless in [[kemmer]]. [[Ursula K. Le Guin]]'s [[The Left Hand of Darkness]])
+* [[Gethenian]]s, who are neuter unless in [[kemmer]]. [[Ursula K. Le Guin]]'s [[The Left Hand of Darkness]])
 * Children are gender-neutral and choose at puberty. ([[Vonda McIntyre]]. "Wings" in <I>The Alien Condition</I>, edited by Stephen Goldin (New York: Ballantine, 1973))
 * A race of humans appears to be neuter. ([[Theodore Sturgeon]]'s [[Venus Plus X]] (1960))